So it's your First
Time...

If this is your first time bringing a group to
California's Great America for Physics/Science/Math Days,
take a quick perusal of the information below. It may help
you in your thinking.

In the items below, we
assume you have already lined up transportation, obtained
your tickets to the park, and signed up your students.
It's a last-minute sanity check.

Do your students have work that they must complete
at the park? When are you going to collect the
completed work ... when they return that day, or
later? It's always best if there is work due at the
end of the day or during the day. And is there an
alternative assignment in case one of the rides is
not operating?

Does everyone know the procedure for loading buses
and getting to the park? Have you planned loading
time into your schedule?

Does everyone know what they are expected to do
while at the park? Do they know your expected
behavior standards? Do they know how to contact you
if they need to at the park? (cell phones are
great!)

Do you have emergency numbers in case you need to
contact parents or guardians? Do students know where
the emergency area is at the park in case something
comes up?

Does everyone know the procedure for returning
from the park?

Does everyone have plans for eating? It's a long
day if you don't have money for food.

Do you have extra equipment in case it's needed at
the park?

If students are participating in the various
contests, do they know where to go and when?

If students are doing projects, do they have the
necessary equipment?

Are you prepared in case the weather turns bad?
The park will still be open, but some rides may not
operate.

And consider
these:

The park provides the place, you provide the
curriculum. Make sure you have something educational
your students will be doing at the park.

The Electronic Data Center (near Vortex)
will check out equipment for gathering data on the
rides. Students wind up with printed graphs and can
take the data home on a USB jump drive.

Consider taking your students on a "tour" of the
park, focusing on the science behind various ride
features. If a large group, schedule them in shifts.

Consider having your students, in groups, take a
ride and develop their own lab for that specific
ride. They would decide what could be measured or
estimated, perform the measurements and
calculations, then submit a detailed report. This
could be enough for their whole day's work, or a
significant portion. This could be a source of
activities for next year.

Be at some location at published times so students
and other adults will be able to contact you for
help or to turn in materials they are finished with.

Be sure to drop by the Teacher's Lounge for a spot
of refreshment. Also check out the various contests
and activities while you are there in case your
students didn't participate this year. There's
always next year.

Keep a record of what you did and when so you can
refer to it next year. It's not good to repeat
mistakes, and it never hurts to write down what went
particularly well.